Assembler-chute buffer



G H MORAEL ASSEMBLER CHUTE BUFFER Filed April 1e, 192e Jan.` 1, 1929.

to W m Patented Jan. l, 1929.

UNITED STATES VPA'IEN'Exl lOFFICEN GEoRGns n.l MORAEL, or sr.A:earnRsi'auRcr,Y rLoRrnA.

AssEMBLER-CHUTE BUFFER. Y

Application area April 1s,

intertypes or linographs, which will permit' 5 a greater assembling speed, prevent transposition, and be readily adjustable for different working speeds and for matrices of different sizes and weights. v

One object of the invention is to avoid the use of springs, thereby giving a smoother action, a readier and more accurate adjustment, and reducing the liability of breakage. Further objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description, and accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment illustrative of my invention. It is to be under-V stood that the principles of my invention may be applied in other forms and to other machines than the one herein shown and described, which illustrates one mode of appli" cation to a typesetting machine of well known make. Y

` The preferred form of mechanism whereby my objects are attained is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the assembler chute buffer applied to a typesetting machine, only enough of the latterbeing shown to make the relation evident;

Fig. 2 isa perspective view of thecomplete buffer; and

Fig. 3 is an end view looking in the direction of thearrows 33 lof Fig. 1. :a5 My buffer may 'be used to replace the as .sembler chute springs on existing typesetting machines, or be installed as an original part of new machines. Its relationship to the other parts of the machine is apparent 4o from Fig. 1, which shows diagrammatically the matrix chute 11, including the usual belt 12, wheel 13, andguide plates 14, 'together with the spacer band chute l5. The star wheel 16 passes the matrices and space bands from their respective chutes to the assenrbling elevator 17, asis well understood in machines of this type of construction.

throat plate 20 and an inner throat plate 21,

attached to a support 22 preferably by a,

hinge (Figs. 2 and 3) comprising a series of pairs of overlapping perforated ears, 23, 24, and 25, one pair being formed on each. of the three rincipal members of the buffer, pivotaly joined by a horizontal pin 26,

passing through the perforatens.

1926. Serial No. 102,558.

The support 22, which may conveniently be stamped from a single piece lof sheet metal, consists of a vertical strip constituting a base, and having a bracket 27 at its lower end. The vertical strip, which stands in a plane perpendicular to the throat plates, is slotted at 22a for ready attachment to the machine frame and for adjustment thereon, being held in place by a large head- `ed screw 22h, or like means. yThe bracket projects outwardly and to the right (see Fig. 1) beyond the vertical strip, and this projecting portion has the pair of downstruck ears 23 which are the interior pair of the series forming the hinge and whichl are perforated to receive the hinge pin 26. The support may be in any other shape which willr serve the purpose of holding the throat plates in operative relation to the other elements of the typesetting machine and permit necessary adjustments. 1

The outer throat plate 20 consists of a Hat strip disposed transversely to the matrix chute, and whose working face isof uni-v form width slightly narrower than that of the chute, sharply bent into three sections forming a rigid unit. The upper section 28, which .stands approximately vertical, carries nearl its top a substantially horizontal forwardly extending threaded stud 29 on which an internally threaded counterweight 30 is adjustably mounted. 1 Thelcentralsection which is approximately horizontal', supports the plate-20 by means `of the upstruck perforated ears 24 fitting `outside the ears 23 of the bracket 22, and swingingly supported by pin 26. The lower section, which is forwardly andV downwardly inclined, terminates ina broad pointed tongue 31, of such shape and size as to engage with the usual V-s'lot in the top of each .descending matrix,

tol straighten and guide the matrices in their downward course, as will. be readily understood by those skilled in the art. 'This lower section also includes two forwardly project `ing parallel flat prongs 32 perpendicular to j y vthe main portion of thethroat plate at op- Thev complete buffer comprises an outerv posite sides, near the lower end thereof, spaced apart sulhciently to allow space bands dropping out of the chute 15 to pass between them in the usal manner.V

The inner throat plate 21 is a strip substantially as wide as and somewhat shorter than the outer plate, reversely curved, cut s nare across at top and battenti, with slightly tapered top corner@ #hang-s below fof the outer throat plate 20, this free oscillation being limited rearwardly by contact ofthe upper en'd 33 with the central section of the outer plate, and'iorwardly by engage- Lment of the lower ends ot the two plates. VSince `both throat plates are suspended by a common pivot 26,V it is obvious that they will be constrained to Swing together when beyond the range of independent oscillation.

Both throat plates are so hung on the pivot '26 that theirown weight impels their lower ends toward the matrix guide, thus making rit necessary for matrices passing' down the chute to push the plates aside forwardly.

The counterweight is so placed as always to add to this turning moment, thusincreasing the resistance to the passage ot matrices `down the chute. This additional moment `will be greater or less .according to the setther to the f right.

ting of the counterweight. Thus when using large-heavy matrices the counterweight will be set to the lett as seen in Fig. 1, increasing the lever arm` about the pivot 26, so adding :to the resistance. Conversely, for lighter matrices the counterweight will be set tur- Should a still greater rangefof adjustment be desired, a heavier vcounterweight, ora :plurality ot such weights,

might abe used. On the other hand the counterweight can be removed entirely, or a lighter onesubsti'tuted, all according to conditions, without aiiz'ecting the principles of 4operation on which my invention rests.

In the operation vof al typesetting machine vequipped with my buffer, a matrix passing down the chute 11 and over the guide 14 will push `up the inner throat plate 21 to the limit of 'its free movement, and-then tlie'outer plate 20 also, since the plates normally hang close to the chute with their lower ends apart. The resistance encountered will retard the speed of the matrix. The inner plate being shorter than the outer and capable of some free swing in both directions, drops lback towards the guide 14: after the matrix passes and while the outer plate 20 is still pushed up, thus taking a position where it will positively prevent the matrix below from jumping up `and back, and whe-re it will also retard the next downcoming matrix, which, in rapid work, may arrive beforel the lirst matrix has passed the outer plate, and consequently before the outer plate has had time to drop back towards the guide.

After the matrix has dropped below the inner plate 21, the sides ot its V groove engage, in passing, the sides of the tongue 31, thus insuring transverse adjustment. The prongs 32 next press the matrix down by its shoulders in the usual `way into a. vertical position and into contact with the'star wheel 16, 'to 'be moved into the assembling elevator 17. This .movement also serve-s to return the outer plate 2O into place near the matrix guide. j Y

This feature of having the inne-r plate quickly return to a retarding position, where it may also havesome movement independent ofthe outer plate, is of great importance, since it prevents stunning, which might otherwise occur in rapid work. By stunning I mean stopping of a descending matrix, which results :in causing subsequent matrices to pile up, thus yclicking the throat. Stunning is often caused by a returning assembler chute spring striking a downcoming matrix. Stunning `and choking may also result from arsecond matrix striking the preceding one while the preceding one is still holding the .chute .spring up. This also is prevented by my partially independent inner throat .plate 2l.

Choking, stunning and other irregulari ities may also be due to a gradual weakening of an assembler chutespri-ng with age and wear, which II avoid by gravity actuation.

The space bands drop fromy the chute 15, between the prongs 32, as with existing assembler chute springs.

The spacing of the lower ends of both throat plates 20 and 21 from the matrix guide 14: is vad-justedby moving the support 22 up or down on the slot 22a and screw 22h. Thus the distance between the lower end 31 of .the outer plate .and the guide 14 may vbe adjusted by moving the counterweight.

It will .-be understoodthat such modifications in dimensions, weights, and other fea-- tures of construction and design, as may be necessary to adapt my apparatus to ditl'erent styles of typesetting machines and to operation with matrices and space bands of various forms, sizes and weights, may be made with out departing from thespirit and principles of my invention.

vWhat'I claim is: j l y 1. A gravity-actuated assembler Vchute buiier having a connterweighted outer throat plate, a horizontal pivot support-ing said plate n'such manner as to permit said plate to Swingin a vertical plane, and an inner throatplate also supported upon said pivot in such ,manner as to be capable of swinging `under the influence of its own weight independently of, but through an arc limited by, said outer throat ypla-te.

2. A gravity-actuated assembler chute vbuller comprising, in combination, a support for attachment in operative relation to a typesetting gmachine, two throat platessupported by a common pivot -for limited independent movement and for greater coincident movement, a counterweight so placed as to inlluence all movements of one of said throat plates, and to influence the coincident movements of both of said throat plates.

3. An assembler chute buffer comprising in combination, a support, a gravity-actuated throat plate hinged to said support, a counterweight carried by said throat plate, a downwardly projecting matrix guiding tongue on the lower end of said throat plate, and forwardly projecting matrix engaging prongs near the lower end of said throat plate.

4. A gravity-actuated assembler chute buifer having a counterweighted outer throat plate, a pivot supporting said plate to permit said plate to swing, and an inner throat plate Asupported upon a pivot in such manner asto be capable of swinging under the inluence of its own weight independently of,

but through an are limited by, said outer throat plate.

5. In an assembler chute buffer, the combination of gravity-actuated inner and outer throat plates having a common pivot, said outer throat plate being provided with llorwardly projecting matrix-engaging prongs near its lower end.

6. A gravity-actuated', pivoted assembler chute buffer, having an inner throat plate and an 1outer throat plate, adapted to be placed in operative juxtaposition to matrixguiding means, said outer throat plate having a lower end adapted, when in a position of repose, to be further spaced from said matrixguiding means than is the lower end of said inner throat plate, said inner throat plate f butler, having inner and outer throat plates, o

said throat plates oscillatably mounted on a common pivot, said inner throat plate capable of limited oscillation independent of said outer throat plate and capable of a greater oscillation in common with said outer throat plate, the lower end of said inner throat plate being inwardly spaced from the lower end of said outer throat plate.

8. In an assembler chute buier in combination with a matrix-guide, a relatively light gravity-actuated matrix-retarding member close to said gui-de, and a relative heavy gravity-actuated matrix-retarding member spaced further from said guide, mounted for occasional partial coaction with said relatively light member.

9. In an assembler chute buffer, a matrix guiding tongue and prongs pivotally mounted for engagement by and oscillation in common with independent matrix-retarding means. v

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specication.

GEORGES H. MORAEL. 

